Winter Solstice Beet & Butternut “Nested” Soup
Check out a short video of me making the dish here
Spice profiles
Beet soup: allspice, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, ginger, mace, nutmeg, star anise
Butternut squash soup: amchur (green mango), black peppercorns, dried lemon, ginger, grains of paradise, orange zest, orange oil, turmeric
Paula and I had a lot of fun dreaming up this soup. You’ll actually make two soups, then “nest” them together in one bowl for a beautiful, solstice-worthy swirl.
Grab two heavy-bottomed pots to start
Base aromatics: Roughly chop two medium onions (one for each pot). Sauté each onion in a bit of olive oil until soft and fragrant.
Butternut pot: To the first pot, add 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed and he full spice packet, (1 Tbsp Stock+Spice Festival of Lights). Sauté for about 2 minutes to toast the spices. Add enough water to just cover the squash.
Beet pot: To the second pot, add 4 medium beets, (about 2 lb), washed and cubed – no need to peel - and the full spice packet, (1 Tbsp Stock+Spice Warmth of the Fire). Sauté for about 2 minutes, then add water to just cover the beets.
Both pots: Bring both pots to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook until tender, (squash ~45 minutes, beets ~60 minutes). Blend & enrich. Purée each soup separately until very smooth, adding more water as needed to reach your favorite soup consistency. Season both soups with salt to taste.
Optional but recommended: whisk ¾ cup Greek yogurt into the butternut soup for extra tang and richness. To avoid curdling, put the yogurt in a bowl and slowly whisk in warm squash soup, a cup at a time, until the yogurt is warmed through. Then stir this mixture back into the rest of the squash soup.
Nest & serve: Fill each bowl about ⅔ full with the butternut soup. Then, using a spoon as a little “ramp,” gently pour beet soup over the spoon and into one side of the bowl so the colors stay mostly distinct rather than fully mixing.
Serve warm and enjoy the contrast of deep beet spice and bright, citrusy squash. Perfect for the darkest days of the year—comfort in a bowl, with a little bit of magic.
